Meet the Illustrator

John Ward

John Ward studied art at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His books have won several awards.

One book that this illustrator loved working on was about Kente cloth. This colorful cloth is made in Africa. When creating the art for the book, John Ward went on "a visual romp across Africa." Afterward, he said, "What a great experience! I hope that readers enjoy the trip as much as I did."

A book that has won an award might have a special book jacket. (A book jacket is a paper cover that wraps around a book's hard cover.) Usually, a picture of the award is shown on the book jacket. Sometimes the picture looks like a medal. Design your own medal award for a favorite book. Draw the medal and write an award name on it. Then color your drawing. Share your medal design with the class.